Kerrish Wars
The Kerrish Wars is the name given to a roughly seven year period of intense political and sectarian violence in Kerwan between 22 BNE and 15 BNE. The Kerrish Wars resulted in the independence of Kerwan from Russianiaq and the formation of a republic amid a backdrop of an ethno-political conflict between Kerwans native Catholic and colonist Protestant population. Because the different conflicts overlapped with each other, it is difficult to divide the violence into distinct chronological wars, but historians have generally identified 4 phases which come together to constitute the Kerrish Wars: the Summer Uprising of 22 BNE, the Sectarian Conflict in Kerwan (22–17 BNE), the Kerrish War of Independence between 19 BNE and 17 BNE, and the Kerrish Civil War between 17 BNE and 15 BNE. Events The Summer Uprising was a failed rebellion that began in May 22 BNE led by the radical Kerrish Liberation Army who were attempting to end Russianian rule in Kerwan and create an independent republic. The initial rising was put down almost immediately, but sporadic fighting continued until early August. The Summer Uprising was to be a key event in the countdown towards independence. The Russianian counter-attack was brutal, and the leaders of the rebellion were hanged, one of whom was a 16 year old, sparking fury among the Catholic population. The Protestant population were also outraged, and the end of the rebellion began a period of severe sectarian violence that was to last several years. The violence manifested itself in riots, lynchings, murders and street fighting by armed gangs and political groups. Catholic and Protestant residential areas were attacked by either side as the situation spiralled out of control. Mills was particularly affected as the city became almost entirely segregated between the Catholic and Protestant populace. The Royal Colonial Corps (RCC) failed to keep hold of the situation, and in 19 BNE, the Royal Army once again were deployed in Kerwan, most of whom were shipped from Russianiaq. The arrival of the Royal Army is seen as the official beginning of the Kerrish War of Independence, as almost immediately the KLA went on the offensive, proclaiming the independence of Kerwan along the way. The War of Independence was a complex conflict, with much of the fighting taking place between loyalist and republican militias rather than the Royal Army. The RCC and the Police were also badly hit, as the country descended into a brutal war heavily marred by sectarianism. Death squads, mass hangings and even ethnic cleansing of areas became characteristic of a war that over its two years claimed up to 10,000 lives. In 17 BNE the royal administration in Kerwan collapsed amid fighting in Ravensburgh, and the Russianian government made the decision to withdraw entirely from mainland Kerwan, resulting in de-facto Kerrish independence, and the creation of the Republic. Russianian withdrawl and Kerrish independence began the Kerrish Civil War, a war even more brutal than the one that preceded it. The RCC had completely disintegrated as an official force, but the men and arms remained. The new Republican government managed to capture at least two-thirds of the RCC's arms, and around the one-eighth of RCC troops who were Catholic defected to the Republic. However, the majority of the RCC went to war with the new Republic despite no longer being under the command of a Russianian administration, who were now attempting to distance themselves at all costs from the situation in Kerwan. The Republic quickly began the process of creating an official army while continuing to use the KLA and the People's Militias as its main fighting force. The Kerrish Civil War generally includes the brutal sectarian violence that went alongside the fighting between loyalists and the Republic.